Christmas

My boy is so big. He is 7 now, and I took him last night to Zellers midnight madness sale. It started at 6 and we were there in a line up at 5:45. It was a big mash of people at a starting line and at 6 pm, people ran. I didn`t really think there was a reason to. ANyways, we went there to get some luggage on for $30 for a set of 4...only to realize it was one of the hourly deals that didn`t go on sale till 8pm. SO, we shopped around for an hour and got bored and went to the Zellers restaurant and had some burgers and cake. It was fun to just hang out with him. He is still very much a child, asking me to spin him around in the basket with wheels we were using unstead of a cart. But also, you can talk with him. He asks good questons. While we waited for our food he told me how they are learning measurements in school and his apple juice box at the table was 200ml. He knew that 5 apple juice boxes made a litre. Then I started asking him how many people could have a 200ml drink from our 4L jug of milk at home and he got the answer. He is my little math whiz. ANyways, it was really nice to leave Penny at home, who takes all my time and energy, and just chat with my boy. Well, we went over to the luggage dept and 7:45 and the line was HUGE!!! We decided agaisnt it at that point because I was so done being at Zellers, and I wanted a larger suitcase anyways. We still got some good deals, just not what I went for.
We re almost done Christmas shopping. I am headed to Marks Work Wearhouse today to finish Prestons list. I think we had our own Black Friday shopping here this weekend. Some really big sales this weekend so I`m taking advantage.

October's gone.

Well, we got through a nice October. The weather here was actually great. We had weather in the teens most days and I think the normal daytime high is 5-7degrees. So, we were thrilled to be able to go to the park a little more often than not. With 4 kids, it is nice to be able to go outdoors and let them run around. Kayla and CLayton are at the point that they can go to the park by themselves. I can't see them from it, but I know all the people that back onto the park, all the kids the frequent it, and it is on our street so they don't have to cross any roadways. It has been so handy to let them go and lots of other kids their age live in the street and go to the park on their own so they spend a lot of time with friends. I only got called down to the park once this year becuase Kayla likes to climb trees but can't always get down. I have now told her no tree climbing unless I am there..even then I hate it. Halloween was a blast. Our ward had a trunk-or-treat and it started out with a dance and some kids games. I thought it was great to dance around the gym with my kids. Especially Adeline, she loves a good beat and had fun...after she got used to the dark gym with the scary lights. There were so many trunks, and again, Kayla and Clayton went off on their own to trick or treat and I took Adeline from trunk to trunk while Preston sat with Penny and handed out Candy. Adleine was super confused at first, but it only took her about 5 or 6 cars till she was saying 'next one' and pulling me along. This weekend was yucky. Penny started to throw up at 1am and didn't stop till 4 am, then Adeline started up at 6am and tossed her cookies the rest of the morning. Kayla started up at 9 that night and luckly she would just barf on the towel I gave her and go back to sleep. Jordan also started that night, which surprised me becuase he is never around us, or rarely eating at home so I'm surprised he caught it. I thought I was getting sick last night, so I skipped dinner. I think I was just way over tired and yucky from cleaning up puke 18 times in 2 days. I ate some Froot Loops this AM and I feel fine. I am looking forward to making chocolates with my MIL this month, and doing some fun crafty stuff for Christmas. I 'll post it later.
I have a lot of friends who have started running marathons. I am kind of interested in the idea...only the 10k's. I don't care to try to run 22k's. I'd rather just try to beat my personal best in the 10ks everytime. However, I am having trouble getting out of the house on my own on a regular basis. Maybe I need to set a schedule. ALso, I need to get motivated. Preston and I have been taking the 200 sit up challenge, We are going to mexico in Feb and I am aiming for a 6 pack. Ok, maybe not a 6 pack, but the hottest bod on the boat(for a 30 year old woman with 4 kids and who has no time to herself-I'm being realistic)
ANyways, hopefully, I will update all the things I have mentioned here so you can see my progress. Thanks for listening!

MULTI GRAIN WAFFLES

So I LOVE these waffles. Probably not because they are the best waffles in the world..but because they are healthy and don't taste it. And I'm really afraid that I will throw out my bag of corn flour when it is empty, and loose the recipe forever. So I am writing it here...for me and you. So, they are very soft waffles, not crispy..just incase you love crispy waffles. But they are so sweet and my whole family loves them and they are so much better for you than pancakes so I have made a gigantic mix of it so I can easily make them whenever I want.

1 1/2 C yogurt - I USE VANILLA YOGURT AND IT ADDS SOOO MUCH FLAVOUR. I guess you
could use any flavoured yogurt.
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla - I omit this ingredient becuase I use the vanilla yogurt.
1/4 C oil - of course you can use apple sauce
1/2 C corn flour
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C flax seed meal - I buy flaxseed and put it in my blender - healthier still!
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 tsp. powder

I makes 8 waffles in my waffle iron. Now, I have made this recipe twice and it has turned out slighty different each time. First time, the waffles were really dark, this time they were light and more fragile. I guess you need to measure the yogurt properly for the right consistancy. Soooo yummy. I know most of you wont try it...but it is here, for when I throw out the flour bag and wonder where my recipe went.

My last baby

So I am surprised at how I am reacting to Penny growing up. I in NO WAY want another child(which is good as Preston has been snipped) but I do notice I'm feeling mildly sad about it all being over. These past weeks, I thought I would have to stop breastfeeding Penny, she is 1 now, as she was STILL waking up 3 times a night, and sometimes she would whine for several hours even after I nursed her. So, I was reading a book and one example was a couple who had the same problem and had to stop breastfeeding to break that night time habit of waking and nursing. However, I noticed with Penny, that it seems to be going ok to try to give her some water, her soother and lay her back down without picking her up at all. last night, she woke up at 1:30 but she went back to sleep when I gave her her soother, and then she didn`t wake up till 7 sò I didn`t have to get up to feed her all night long. Hooray. Now, it has only been 3 nights where things have been going better but I am totally sold on Kamilles(my SIL) opinion that feeding a kid in the middle of the night can kick start their metabolism and wake them up more...I think that is what she said. Anyways, I am so glad I dont have to stop breastfeeding because I am not ready. I enjoy it so much and so does Penny. She is my clingiest, whiniest kid(in part my fault because I carry her everywhere)but she is opening up to people a bit and she is super cute and fun. I cant take her in the back yard though becuase she bolts for the garden and just starts stuffing her face with soil. At first, I let her do it, because I thought she would realize how gross it is and spit it out. But she just keeps eating it and stuffing more in, its crazy! So really, we can't play in the backyard. So, we go to the park where she puts rocks in her mouth. Atleast she spits those out though. As I've said before, I am constantly torn between wanting to get past a stage because it is so tough(like toddlers) and knowing I'm going to miss it because it is so fun and cute. I feel like a schitzo because I can't describe it. Like when I am at home..sometimes I want someone to take the kids away for the day so I can relax. Then, an hour later I'm bored and want to know what they are doing, or be able to do something for them. Am I the only one??

growing in Calgary

SO we are learning a lot about growing plants in Calgary, especially produce. Actaully, that is all I am really interested in. I could care less about flowers. I'll put some out, but I don't really care what is what. Anyways, we tried green peppers this year. A couple times. Preston even bought a heat lamp and no luck. We were aware that they like a lot of heat and sunlight and we didn't get much here until the end of June. Even then, we have been below seasonal so not enough heat for peppers. Tomatos we love and had great success in Kitchener the year before but here we again don't get enough heat and humidity. We don't have a green house so we grew them in the front window where the sun shines and that seemed to help. I also covered some of them in plastic in the beginning stages to keep in the moisture. Anyways, my issue with planting them is it often tells you to put 4 or 5 seeds in and them after they have grown a few inches, to keep the two strongest and pull of the others. I know this is a very different situation, but what if Kate plus 8 found out she was pregnant with 6 babies and the doctors said 'ok, we are going to terminate 4 of them so pick the two strongest" I know they are only tomatoes, but look at my picture. If I had done what they told me, I wouldn't have that cute little tomato today. It was loved and nurtured and it still grew and though it wont be a lawyer or a doctor, it was still able to produce a cute little tomato:)
So, we also planted corn and onions and I learned a tip. Soak the seeds for 24 hours and themn plant - gives them a good head start. I didn't do that with the corn and it is not growing because we put it out in the field and left it hoping it would grow without watering it. We see our peas, beans and potatos and carrots growing and look forward to the harvest!

Tooth Update

There was a raging infection under my tooth when they did some drilling...so I get to have a root canal. All they did was put a temp filling on it, and I hope I didn't experience any pain until they could fit me it. I mean, I hate the dentist as it is, so lets freeze my face twice and dig around in there twice. I guess it is my own fault though. If I actually went to the dentist regularly, it never would have gotten to this point. Poor Penny gets to spend the afternoon with Daddy tomorrow...I anticipate some crying.

Bad Night

So I went to bed last night with a sore tooth. I have about 8 cavities that need to be filled and I was waiting till Prestons benefits kick in, which could be now but he is not on top of it so we are not sure. SO one of my cavities started to really hurt yesterday so I took some Ibuprofin. I've never waited for a cavity to hurt and now I know why. It is a very uncomfortable pain. All I want these days is a good night sleep because Penny sleeps horribly and still wakes up every few hours. Last night she slept 6 hours stright...and I was awake for all of it! The pain subsided around 3:30 and I got a few hours sleep. Of course, I am kid of like "Heavenly father, why are you doing this too me?? All I pray for is a good night sleep and when the baby cooperates, my body doesn't??" ANyways, as I am grumping around the house this morning, I remembered that in my pure exhuastion last night, I decided to quickly do all the dishes and clean the kitchen even though I was tempted to leave it all...which I often do. THank goodness I did because on top of being cranky and in pain, I could have an even more disasterous house than I already have. SO, I guess I should be greatful to my heavenly father instead of questioning him as he perpared me a little for this miserable day:) AND I know it will pass and some day, I will get some sleep! Off to the dentist, benefits or not.

Stampede Week!

It is Stampede Week and I have torn all the ads about pancake breakfasts out of the paper. Tomorrow morning we are going to hit up an Anglican church in town...should be fun. On the topic of food, Preston said we should go on a no sugar diet. I don`t like the generalness of what he wants to do. I`d rather be more specific like No pop or chocolate bars or donuts and no sugar after 6pm or something. SO far, I have had no real sugar today and I am CRAVING IT!! Seriously, if I find any, I will cave. I totally notice the addiction in me becuase I feel really unsatisfied right now.

I stink at this.

I always find my way onto the computer, but only for minutes at a time, so I never fell like I have enough time to blog a proper blog. Adeline is whining right now and Penny is stuck in her highchair so we will see how this goes:) We are having a good summer so far. I took the big kids on a bike ride last night and it was nice to bike around the community with them at a normal speed. I am so excited for Penny to turn one so she can ride in the trailer. I think I will start 3 weeks early and bike the kids to school in September. I would think that I would have to go to a sports store to find a helmet that will fit her tiny little head properly... I can't imagine Walmart will have what we need. Maybe they will, I haven't looked yet. I had a dream last night that I was holding a newborn and bawling my head off because I was done having babies. I feel my family is complete, but I know I am going to miss this little baby stage so much. I always feel so torn. I am exhausted, Penny doesn't sleep well, and I really want her to grow up so I can watch her less cloesly, but at the same time I want her to stay little. One of the tough things about having a baby right now is our garden which we are very excited about. We are growing peas, carrots, lettuce(we ate some last night and it was great!) onions, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries and raspberries. However, our backyard has so many mosquitoes right now and I saw 3 perched on Pennys head when I was trying to pull weeds yesterday so that ended abruptly.
Preston starts his shirt work MOnday. He has been at this new job for a month as a maintenance electrician, and he has learned enough to start shift. It means he will now work 4 days on, 4 off, 4 nights on 4 off. They are 12 hour shifts rotated between 4 electricians. He is very excited about this job. It was the longest interview process he has ever had to endure, and as long as the plant is there, he hopes to be there...mee too! I am tired of moving and uncertainty.
I am so envious of my friend Kristen who hates running and has been doing it for a while now and getting results.(shout out Kris!!) WHy am I so lazy? I saw this hot bodied woman crossing the street the other day and I told Preston to stop looking becuase I will never have her body and he said I totally have the right build to have her body...I just have to workout. Well, maybe with a boob job:) SO, I went on that bike ride last night and we will see with Prestons shift work if I can use the days he has off productively. And we just booked a cruise for Feb so I am hopng that a goal to have a hot bod by then might help motivate me.
My SIL has just decided to home school her children and I applaude her for trying it out..because I never would:) I like my kids going off to school and giving me a break! In all honesty, I would do it if I had to, but Clayton was sad the school was ending before it ended, so as long as the system is working for us, I am sticking with it. However, I am making an effort this summer to to some teaching. See if I could do it if I had to. I have some work books that I am hoping to make them do a couple of pages every day or two and I have some great I ideas for field trips. I also liked her idea of using everyday situations for learning...like baking. They can help and I can teach them the rules of a recipe and do some math with the measurements. What I want to see is me not saying "forget it! Go outside and play!" So, good luck to me:)
Thats really it with us. The kids got their report cards. CLayton is about a B average student who excels in math, but his teachers say of he focuses, he has a lot of brains. Focus will be a tough one. Kayla is now consistant in everything kindergarten, except for a few social things like distracting others and not paying attention...sounds like focusing is a family problem:) Adeline is almost 2 and can throw some wicked tantrums...it's hard not to laugh and Penny is crawling now. Boo.

Olympic Torch

We were able to go see the Olympic Torch realy in Okotoks. It was within waling distance from our house so I took the babies out to see it. I only did it because the weather was nice. I don't really have much interest in the Olympics. I rarely watch them, all though I try sometimes because I feel bad if I don't for some reason. I keep up on how many medals Canada has won, but that is it. I'm glad I went the the realy though, it made me feel patriotic or something:) ANd it was convenient, it was half way to the kids school, so I just finished the walk and picked them up afterward.

2010

I never blog when I actually have something to say, and then when I sit down to blog, I feel like I'm trying to come up with some thing to say. Lets start from the top. Preston registered for school. He is doing some PLC courses to gain more programming skills. He loves to troubleshoot stuff, and this will help him. He'll be going to school Monday and Wednesday evenings. Me, I get to spend more time alone with my lovely children:) It will be a little hard to have him away more evenings a week. Somedays, he works into the evenings, so I'm afraid he will never be home now. RIght now I am tring to do flylady. I'm sucking at it. I've been on day 2 for 3 weeks - shine my sink and put on my shoes. I can't get past it. I think I will have to modify her program to fit my lifestyle. I am also trying to start up a business with my dad. Well, it's my business but he is my sounding board and my technical assistance. It's hard to explain right now. It has to do with hair clips and such, but it is hopefully different from all the hair clip makers/sellers out there. I just renewed Prestons business licence so now I can get a membership to the warehouse I need to get my cheap supplies. We will see...
Clayton LOVES school and I'm so glad becuase it's easy to get him up and out the door. He just got his first birthday party invitation of the year. The party is an hour long. 1 hour. There is no point in me going back home....so I will shop close by. Oh, that is another one of my goals. To only shop once a week. So far I have done well. I don`t like to make do, so I go to the store regularly. I am going to simplify by only going once. I`ve done it for 2 weeks now. WOo hoo.
Kayla is a challenge. She is constatnly asking to have a friend over. CONSTANTLY. She is stubborn and says Ì`m NOT going to school` but she always does. ANd she always says `no`to me. I can hardly wait for her teenage years:) She has her moments though where she is sweet. She gives lots of hugs and kisses and sometimes she will try to clean for me or Preston `to make us happy` but only if SHE wants to. She gave her first talk in church on Sunday and spoke very well.
Adeline is adorable and fun and exhausting. She climbs everything and falls down stairs. She loves to eat play dough and watch crazy christmas light videos on the computer. Penny smiles like crazy these days but it is very obvious she loves her mommy. Preston thinks she doesn`t like him. I think he tries to make her cry so he doesn`t have to hold her. Well, I am going to attempt toboganning today. It`s hard with all four cause Adeline needs me to go down with her, and Penny needs to just sit in the cold stroller. But it`s worth Clayton and Kaylas smiles:)